Oprano Radio will not be broadcasting today

[gonzo]

Originally posted by Dravyk@Jun 30 2004, 01:21 AM
Ok, let a former washed up radio guy weigh in here, for what it's worth.

Doing a weekly radio show and keeping it at A+ level is impossible. Keeping it at B+ level is possible, but a grind and a total bitch. Been there, dont that, got the worn out Tshirt.

I think be it twice a month or once a month you would lose audience more so. There is a logical answer. Remember the old McCloud-Columbo-McMillan&Wife thing? Alternate every two weeks with another show or another series of hosts. Keeps the audience, keeps the time slot open, offers variety, yadda yadda.

I also agree, you need guests and topics. It may also have been (sorry, giving you all my feedback) a mistake "branding" the show with the Oprano name. Lots of times shows with their own "name" but associated with a resource works. Branding it often tells people who are not a part of that board or that resource that they are not wanted.

Further .... ok, you wanted feedback, here it comes .... the fact that the radio show is not marketed elsewhere, of course you're going to get only 20 people! Hello?? You and Gonzo are excellent marketing people! But you guys and AEBN's total lack of marketing is ultimately to blame. You guys know that the adage "build it and they will come" is the biggest piece of dung phrase ever said, but for some reason in this particular case, it seems you've fallen for it.

Get out there and push!! Get the guests, do your homework, make up the questions, do your research, plan the sucker, then promote the living piss out of it. And if it's too much work to do it right, then hang it up.

And I only tell you the unvarnished truth here because I respect you and I know you can handle it.

Drav...

I appreciate your advice and Im happy to reread over it and learn.

I think the twice a month idea is excellent. However we cant get anyone to commit to one hour doing their own show for the past 6 months. I do however see a way this can be applied. Hit me up on ICQ and Ill be happy to share. No reason to spill free ideas eh?

Guests are a very tricky thing as you well know. Quite frankly we could have pulled another show out of our asses last night but to be honest with you I wasnt feeling well. Consider that we have been doing this pretty much off the cuff from the begining. We NEVER planned to do a live radio show. The chips fell into place and we rolled with it. Initially I had planned on spinning some tunes and doing a little interactive news. CJ came up with a great concept and name and we went live with it a few days after it was announced. We do these shows with no production staff, no input [which we are always open to] from the board, and no advertisers other than our friends at ACHdebit/Cybertokens who paid for the phone patch equipment that we use for live call ins.

I disagree with you about cobranding the show with the resource. The resousrce is the reason for doing the show in the first place. Which other resource can you go to and advertise with at some many different levels? Oprano/Serge/The Good,The Bad, and The Ugly are all inspirations in doing it in the first place.

And the marketing comment may look valid to you for a few more days my friend but in a very short time that remark is going to have a very bitter taste. AEBN only committed to providing the server and bandwidth for the radio shows. And promotional help they have or have not extended to us has been a gift. I do agree with your statement of build it and they will come is a crock. You have to develop traffic for the web and that includes audio broadcasts.

I appreciate you candor but do keep in mind your giving us a little advice based on your experience and not based on hearing any of our shows. A little credit where credit is due...CJ plans out a lot of those shows down to the minute. Im the one thats comfortable with half assing things.